


Persona 5 Myth Project

by goodfairyofny



Category: Persona 5
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-03
Updated: 2018-06-05
Packaged: 2019-02-10 06:09:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12905787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goodfairyofny/pseuds/goodfairyofny
Summary: A project I did for an undergraduate mythology class. Each short story is written with a source based on the character's persona. Stories were written for Joker, Fox, Skull and Crow, and there is also an introduction by Mona. I plan to continue writing, because the other Phantom Thieves want to have their stories told as well. See the end of each chapter for author's notes explaining the source story. You can see the original project with images at jokers-storybook.tumblr.com.





	1. Introduction

My name is Mona, and I am a Phantom Thief. Some would say I’m a cat. I look like a cat, but really, I’m a human. At least, that’s what I hope. I am writing this letter in my teammate Joker’s probation journal. I felt compelled to begin chronicling our adventures as I feel the work we are doing is important to Japan’s society. I can’t remember how I was born, but I believe it was in the depths of Mementos. You see, Mementos is part of a place called the Metaverse. It’s a cognitive world that exists in people’s minds. Cognitive distortions are ways that our minds can convince us of something that isn’t really true. People who develop large distortions in their cognition have what we like to call a palace. It’s a part of the Metaverse that reflects what the inside of their heart is like, and can be extremely dangerous. As Phantom Thieves, we enter a person’s palace and find a route to their treasure. The treasure is at the core of the palace, and doesn’t take shape until we send them a calling card in the real world. Then the treasure manifests and we steal it. Once we do this, the palace begins to crumble, and we have to get out fast! The treasure always ends up being something that led to the distortion in the first place. Once we’ve taken it, the person has what we call a change of heart, and they confess their sins, making amends for their wrongdoings. The person in the real world is never aware of what is going on when we’re inside their palace. We can locate a palace using the MetaNav, a mysterious app that appeared on my teammates’ phones.

Mementos is a part of the Metaverse that serves as everyone’s palace. It is a collective unconscious of society. People with smaller distortions can be found there, as they have not developed a full palace of their own. It’s located in Tokyo’s Shibuya underground station, but in the cognitive world. I think I must have been born there, because I feel drawn to the depths. If I can find out what’s down there, I think I can regain my human form. That’s why I started investigating palaces, and how I met Joker for the first time. Oh, and Skull was there, too. I made a mistake in a palace I was in. The guy it belonged to thought he was a king and the school he worked at was his castle. Joker and Skull were students there, and they accidentally ended up in the palace because the MetaNav activated on Joker’s phone. They found me in a cell after the king captured me, and they freed me. In exchange, I showed them the way out. I stayed behind to do some more investigating, because I need to find a way to get my memories back. I didn’t expect Joker and Skull to come back, because they barely made it out alive the first time, but they did. Joker already had some impressive skills that I thought might be useful, so I asked them to help me on my quest. They found out the king of the palace was hurting kids at school and wanted to stop him, so they agreed to work with me. That was how we became the Phantom Thieves. 

Let me tell you a little more about how all this works. There are things called personas and shadows. A shadow is an unconscious part of the personality that the conscious part doesn’t identify with. To truly know yourself, you have to accept this “dark side.” If you do accept it, it integrates into your personality, and you gain a persona. A persona is a mask a person wears to make an impression on others. It is a layer of our personality that protects us from and helps us interact with the outside world. Those that can enter someone’s palace have acquired a persona. They have faced the side of themselves they don’t like and accepted it. When a person can’t accept it, they develop a shadow and their cognition becomes distorted. It is their shadow self that we see inside their palace.

For us Phantom Thieves, personas are mythological beings that give us special powers we can use to fight shadows. I don’t remember anything before I got my persona, and Joker got his as soon as he entered his first palace. For our teammates, Skull, Panther, Fox, Queen, Oracle, Noir and Crow, something triggered their acceptance, usually the need to make a selfish adult stop taking advantage of kids and other vulnerable grown-ups. Joker has a special ability. He can have many different personas, while the rest of us only have one. This makes him a great leader, as he is able to adapt depending on the circumstances of the palace. I have a special ability as well. In the Metaverse, I can turn into a bus! My fellow thieves have begun referring to my special form as “the Mona car.” This makes exploring the long maze of subway tunnels in Mementos much easier. The faster we get to the depths, the sooner I can become human again.

This probation journal was given to Joker by his guardian, who everyone calls Boss. For the time being, Joker and I live in the attic above Boss’s cafe. The reason for the probation in the first place? Yet another selfish adult taking advantage of a powerless teenager. We’ve decided to use the journal to recount some of our most fascinating adventures. To whoever’s reading this in the future: It may be hard to believe, but everything you will read here is completely true. We will continue to use our code names when we write, in order to protect our identities, just like we do in the Metaverse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that you have read Mona's introduction, the stories can begin. I plan to writer Mona's own story in the near future.


	2. Joker's Story

When I boarded the steamship, I found myself on a journey full of mystery and delight. The passengers surrounding me were some of the most charming I have ever encountered, especially the ladies. One in particular, Panther, had caught my eye. Her beauty along with her spirit was intriguing and irresistible.

On the first day at sea, we received an emergency message by wireless telegraph. “The leader of the Phantom Thieves is aboard the ship, traveling alone, blonde hair, under the name S-” Unfortunately, we were passing through a storm, which cut the message short. 

“I believe us passengers can investigate this ourselves. Many aboard have names that begin with S,” I told Madame Panther and her group of friends and admirers. All were on edge at the thought of a Phantom Thief being among us. 

“True,” Panther said thoughtfully. “But how many are alone and blonde?”

My eyes immediately went to one of Panther’s admirers, Monsieur Skull. Blonde, traveling alone, a name that began with S. “Just one, I believe.”

Skull’s eyes widened. “Wait, you mean me?! Huh. Now that you mention it, I do kind of fit the bill. If I didn’t know it wasn’t me I’d probably arrest myself,” he said with a chuckle.

Just then, a friend of Panther, Madame Noir, came running into the room. “My jewels! My precious jewels have been stripped from the settings and stolen! It must have been that Phantom Thief!”

We reported both the theft and our suspicions to the Captain, and he placed Skull into holding. To our surprise, the crew released him the next morning, as his papers checked out. “Of course they checked out,” I said confidently. “The leader of the Phantom Thieves would have excellent forgery skills on his side.” Skull attempted to rejoin our group, looking crestfallen when the ladies ignored him. 

The following day, Skull offered a reward for the capture of the Phantom Thief. The Captain ordered his men to search the ship. “They should search the lining of our jackets as well,” I said wryly.

“What makes you say that, Monsieur Joker?” Panther asked me.

“A Phantom Thief would be skilled at hiding things in places no one would think to look,” I said frankly. “Take my camera for instance. I could just be pretending to take pictures of you lovely ladies with it. The jewels would easily fit inside, and no one would even be suspicious.”

“That’s a fascinating theory,” Panther said, captivated.

During the investigation, someone stole the Captain’s watch. No one had been near his quarters, except the stray cat everyone had been slipping scraps to throughout the trip. Surely, the cat couldn’t have stolen a watch!

The next morning, the Captain found Skull tied up on the deck, his empty wallet beside him and a calling card pinned to his chest. “The leader of the Phantom Thieves accepts your reward.”

“Who did this to you?” the Captain asked.

“I didn’t see a thing,” Skull insisted. “The ship is dark at night.”

That evening I spent time alone with Panther. We were becoming quite close. How lucky a man I was! As we shared a romantic moment on the deck beneath the moon, I silently thanked the Phantom Thief for bringing about this glorious opportunity.

On the final day, when the ship approached the shore, I stood hand in hand with Panther. The famous detective, Monsieur Crow, waited to arrest the Phantom Thief. “Do you think it was Skull after all?” Panther asked.

“It’s possible,” I said thoughtfully. When the ship docked, we watched as the other passengers exited, each passing the detective. He stopped none of them. “I think a photograph of Skull and the detective together would be remarkable,” I said, tossing my camera to Panther. Unfortunately, he had already passed by without incident before she could take the photograph. We began to exit the ship, when the detective called out to me.

“The leader of the Phantom Thieves, isn’t it?” Crow asked casually.

“I’m sorry,” I replied. “You must be mistaken.” He pulled out his cuffs, and Panther met my eyes, understanding everything. 

She had understood everything all along. The woman called Panther ran off as fast as she could with my camera, which naturally contained the jewels and the stolen watch. Desperate to not let my adventures end here, I summoned my persona. I had several, but I brought forth my first and most trusted to help me escape my predicament.

“Arsene!” I shouted. “Eiha!” I cast a darkness spell. To my dismay, it barely knocked the detective back, only taking him by surprise. Thankfully, my teammates arrived, launching a variety of attacks at the detective with their own personas.

“Joker! Get out of here, go!” Oracle shouted, navigating my escape while advising the others in combat.

The following day, the Phantom Thieves met at our hideout, the attic above Cafe LeBlanc. “Thank goodness you made it out alright, Joker!” Panther exclaimed.

“I knew you were gonna brand me as the criminal, but did you really have to tie me up and leave me there for hours like that? Skull asked.

“It was necessary,” Mona, the cat, said. “It had to look natural when they found you in the morning.”

“I can’t believe they bought my story about the jewels belonging to me,” Noir said with a giggle. The real owner never even realized they were missing!”

“Excellent job, as always, Joker,” Fox said with a smile. “It was hard for Queen and me to remain in the background.”

“True, but it was worth it in case you needed backup,” Queen added.

“I can’t believe we pulled it off!” Oracle said fervidly, holding up the Captain’s watch. 

“All that matters is that we succeeded in changing the Captain’s heart. Great job, guys!” I said, bowing to my comrades with gratitude.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The source for this story is The Arrest of Arsene Lupin from The Extraordinary Adventures of Arsene Lupin, Gentleman-Burglar by Maurice LeBlanc. In the original story, a telegraph reports that the famous thief Lupin is aboard the steamship. A character called Monsieur d’Andrezy narrates the story. He is interested in one of the passengers, Miss Nelly. He encourages the other passengers to investigate with him, and accuses a man who fits the criteria in the interrupted message, who also happens to be a rival for Miss Nelly’s affections. Lupin begins stealing things from the ship, and d’Andrezy tells Nelly a proposed method for hiding the treasure, using his camera as an example. When the ship docks, a detective is waiting to arrest Lupin. Monsieur d’Andrezy hands Nelly the camera before he is arrested, as he was Arsene Lupin the whole time. Nelly discreetly dumps the camera into the water, keeping his secret. I have used characters from the game Persona 5 in my retelling. Instead of the real world, the new story takes place in a cognitive world called the Metaverse. The plot unfolds in much the same way as the original, except all of the other characters are members of the Phantom Thieves, and are in on the heist. In the end, Joker is almost arrested, but his teammates come to his aid, and he is able to escape. In the game, Joker’s persona is named Arsene, based on Arsene Lupin, gentleman-burglar.


	3. Fox's Story

My name is Fox. During my time as a Phantom Thief, I have become skilled with a katana, the sword of the samurai. This story is about my time with the group.

As I stood at one end of a grove of cherry trees, I framed Panther with my hands, my artist’s eye wishing to paint her as much as I did the first time I saw her. When we first met, I was captivated by her beauty. That was how I met the Phantom Thieves. I had followed Panther, hoping to ask her to model for my next painting. There was a bit of a misunderstanding, and she thought that I was stalking her. When I finally found the nerve to approach her, Joker and Skull stepped in, ready to protect her at any cost.

It came to light over the next several weeks that the man I had been living with, my sensei, the famous artist Madarame, was taking advantage of me, and had done the same to other students for many years. I owed this man my life, as he had raised me since my mother’s passing when I was a very young child. I deluded myself into thinking that sensei simply had artist’s block, and allowed him to show my work as his own. When the Phantom Thieves came to me and suggested that he was using me for my art, I defended him. I was not yet aware of the extent of sensei’s offense. 

After I found out that sensei had allowed my mother to die, taking her painting, the Sayuri, and pretending it was his own to gain fame and money, I joined the Phantom Thieves. It became my life’s work to punish sensei and others like him who take advantage of the vulnerable. We triggered a change of heart in sensei, and he confessed his sins. His misdeeds had not only led to my mother’s death, but another of his pupils committed suicide after years of having his own works of art bring fortune to Madarame. I chose not to keep the treasure we stole from his palace, the real Sayuri, for myself. My motive was not to gain anything, so I insisted that we hang it in Cafe LeBlanc. The patrons would enjoy it, and I would visit often, spending time at our hideout with Joker. 

My decision to join the Phantom Thieves as a permanent member was simple. Most would assume it was Panther who I wanted to spend my time around, but the truth is, I was drawn to Joker’s charisma. There is a light in him that shines so bright it could blind the sun. That was the type of aesthetic I wished to paint, so aligning myself with the group was in my best interest, for my art, my desire to help others, and my soul. 

By day, we masqueraded as regular students, myself at the Kosei art school, the others at Shujin Academy. Even Mona, the cat, attended school every day with Joker. The world was fooled. None knew that we spent our afternoons breaking into the Metaverse to change the world for the better. Helping the oppressed brought life to my meager existence. I felt no need to keep any of the treasure for myself, secretly passing it on to people who needed it more than I did. That’s not to say I was living comfortably. I lived in a cramped dorm room paid for by my art scholarship. Joker treated me to more meals than I can count when he noticed I had gone hungry for days. I could never repay such kindness, but I remember every single meal that we shared together. 

“Uhh, Fox?” Skull asked, breaking me out of my thoughts.

“Yes, did you need something?” I replied.

“What are you doing, buddy?” he asked. My hands that had been framing Panther were now solely focused on Joker as I had been thinking about his light. After completing the mission tonight, I would go home and paint a masterpiece that captured every single ray. 

“It’s time to go,” Mona said, rolling his eyes. “We need to steal the treasure. Joker promised me sushi tonight!”

“Very well, then,” I said, finally dropping my hands. We exited the cherry grove, sneaking into a castle belonging to the descendent of an emperor who was taking advantage of his subordinates. Joker and I ended up face to face, as we crouched behind the same corner. “He’s right up ahead,” I whispered. Joker nodded in reply, then leapt out of our hiding spot, ambushing the enemy.

“Yoshitsune!” Joker called out. “Hassou Tobi!” He was bringing out the big guns early in the fight, unleashing his most deadly spell on the emperor. 

“Allow me to follow up on that!” I shouted. Joker stepped aside, and I jumped in, knocking the enemy down with just one slice of my katana. I summoned my persona, finishing off the enemy with an ice spell. “Goemon! Bufudyne!”

When the fight was over, we returned to the real world. The treasure turned out to be an excellent replica of the sword Kusanagi, one of Japan’s Three Sacred Treasures. 

“Whoa! You should totally keep that, man. You could sell your own sword and have like, money to eat and stuff,” Skull suggested.

“No, thank you. My weapon is sufficient.”

“None of us would look down on you for keeping it, Fox. Especially if you sold it. You don’t eat nearly often enough,” Panther said with concern. My stomach growled, emphasizing her point.

I shook my head. “We should give it it his subordinates, to make up for the money he cheated them out of.” 

“Well, if that’s decided… Joker! It’s sushi time!” Mona said excitedly. My face fell, as I realized I barely had enough money to ride the subway home.

Joker smiled, putting an arm around my shoulders. “Come on, it’s my treat,” he said, his rays of light reflecting on my own face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is based on the legend of Ishikawa Goemon, a samurai during Japan’s 16th century Edo era. It is believed that Goemon left for Kyoto and became a thief after his father was assassinated. He is thought of by many as a Japanese version of Robin Hood. Goemon and his band of thieves pretended to be merchants by day to scope out targets, and stole from the homes of the rich at night. They gave the things they stole to the poor and oppressed as a means of balancing the power between the social classes. My story is less of a retelling since the legend has been passed down by word of mouth and in Japanese Kabuki plays, but not written. I have blended Goemon’s legend with the story of Fox from the game Persona 5. Fox is an artist studying under a teacher named Madarame who steals art from his students to gain fame and money. The Phantom Thieves decide to change Madarame’s heart to save Fox from a corrupt mentor and father figure who was responsible for the death of Fox’s mother and another of his students. In my retelling of Fox’s story, I added elements of Japanese culture and tried to create the feeling of a samurai story, while maintaining Fox’s similar characteristics to Ishikawa Goemon. In the game, Goemon is Fox’s persona.


	4. Skull's Story

It was a hot day at the shore. As I wiped sweat from my brow for the millionth time, I looked around at my teammates. Joker caught my eye.

“Everything alright, Skull?” he asked gently. This guy was our leader. He had barely even broken a sweat despite the fact that he was working as hard as the rest of us. Maybe even harder.

“Yeah, I was just thinking… maybe we’re digging in the wrong spot.”

“Wait, what?!” Panther exclaimed. “You said you were sure this was the right place!”

“I know, I know,” I said. “But we’ve been looking for hours and haven’t found anything yet!”

We were in a palace that belonged to a guy descended from some pirate dude. We needed to steal his treasure so we could change his heart. Problem is, his shadow was apparently taking the whole pirate thing seriously. The palace was the entire eastern shoreline of Japan.

“I thought you knew what you were doing,” Noir said, patting me on the shoulder.

“I mean, I just thought, yanno, it’d be in the section close to Tokyo, since we live there.” I shrugged while the others all groaned. Queen groaned the loudest. She was always the most disappointed in me.

“S-Sorry, guys. My bad,” I said, feeling my cheeks heat up. 

“It is fine,” said Fox. “We will try another spot. Where do you recommend we begin, Skull?”

I was shocked he was willing to trust my judgement again. I took a deep breath and concentrated as I looked up and down the coastline. “That way,” I said, pointing north.

“Okay!” Oracle shouted cheerfully. “Let’s do this!” We retrieved our digging equipment, except for Mona, the cat, who had been digging with his paws. Mona and I tended to bicker a lot, but you had to give the little guy credit. It’s like he was born to search for buried treasure.

“Uhh, Mona?” I asked. 

“Yes, Skull?” Mona answered.

“You think you’d mind doing your thing? I know you’re tired, but we could get there much faster in the Mona car.”

Mona sighed. “Well, you did ask nicely for a change. Come on!”

Panther grabbed Mona by the feet and threw him across the beach. He transformed in mid air, landing in car form.

“H-Hey! I told you I don’t need you to do that!” Mona shouted.

“Happy to help!” Panther said with a big smile.

The air-conditioned ride was so much better than walking miles up the coast. I have no idea how Mona does that stuff, and I try not to think too much about it. We arrived at the spot, and climbed out.

“I think this is the place, guys. Let’s start digging.” Everyone nodded. 

After a couple of hours and still no luck, it was Crow who broke the silence. “Are you… sure this is the place, Skull?” He wiped sweat off his forehead as he shot me a pained expression. My face went red again.

“I thought it felt right…”

“Seriously, Skull? When are you going to get something right for a change?” Queen asked angrily.

“Hey! I get stuff right! Sometimes,” I added. I felt super defensive. If they didn’t think I could do this, why did they ask me to begin with?

Joker walked up beside me and put his arm around my shoulders. He was my best bud, and the gesture was comforting. “Think, Skull. You can do this. Your persona is a pirate. Where would he bury the treasure?”

I took a deep breath and looked straight ahead into the Pacific. The sun was setting and it was amazing. Everyone else turned, and we just all stared in awe.

That was when I saw it. I smiled almost bigger than my face could hold. “There. It’s right there!” I shouted. I pointed at a little island within swimming distance. 

Everyone was game for a swim except Mona. I guess that whole thing about cats not liking water was true. Joker offered to let him ride on his back, and it only took us a few minutes to get to the island. Unfortunately, the palace owner’s shadow was waiting for us. 

“Thought you could steal my treasure, matey?”

“Uhh, you’re not really a pirate, dude,” I said. “But if you’d like to meet one, I can help with that.” I smiled again as I summoned my persona. “Captain Kidd! Ziodyne!” I hit the shadow with electricity. 

Joker met my eye and I nodded, giving him a huge high five as a way of passing him the baton, so to speak. He took over, summoning one of his many personas. “Yatagarasu! Agidyne!” He roasted the shadow with his fire spell, but it still kept coming back for more. It hit us head on with a wind spell, my weakness. I was really hurt, and Joker took a little damage, too.

“Mediarahan!” Mona shouted. I felt a wave of warmth fall over me like sunshine as he healed us.

“Thanks!” I said. I was ready to finish this. “Megaton Raid!” I threw a physical spell at the enemy. It was enough to end the battle. 

“Go and make amends in the real world,” I heard Joker tell the shadow. I couldn’t focus. The only thing I could see was a huge treasure chest! I raced over to it, Mona right behind me. When I lifted the lid, tons of jewels and coins sparkled in the light from the sunset. 

“You know, Skull, you may mess up a lot, but when you do get it right, it’s incredible!” Mona exclaimed, unable to tear his eyes off the treasure. I picked up the largest jewel, a ruby-red oval that I couldn’t quite fit in my pocket. 

“Ready to head back?” Joker asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

“One sec,” I said, quickly burying the time capsule we’d prepared ahead of time. “Okay, ready. I’m totally sick of how hot this beach is,” I replied with a grin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is based on the legend of William Kidd, aka Captain Kidd, a 17th century pirate in the New England area. In 1699, Kidd became a wanted criminal. At the time, he was traveling from New York to Boston. Fearing his arrest, he buried treasure on Gardiner's Island. This was the only treasure recovered, but many think he buried treasure all along Long Island Sound. People have been searching the shores of New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts ever since, hoping to find more of Captain Kidd’s loot. He is the only pirate known to have actually buried treasure. My story combines the legend of William Kidd with characters from the game Persona 5. The Phantom Thieves have the ability to enter a cognitive world inside a person’s mind, referred to as a palace, and steal the core, which is called a treasure. Skull’s persona is Captain Kidd, and I wanted to see him searching for buried treasure along the coast of Japan the way people in the real world have searched for Kidd’s treasure. Skull doesn’t always think things through, and of course ends up dragging his teammates all over the shore before realizing where the treasure is buried. In the end, he comes off as brilliant, despite his usual lack of common sense.


	5. Crow's Story

My name is Crow, and I am a Phantom Thief. The others should not have accepted me, as I will soon bring their downfall. I was not always a bad person, but I was always alone. My mother died when I was very young, and I was raised in an orphanage. I eventually found out that my father, Masayoshi Shido, was a greedy politician with plans to become Prime Minister of Japan. I must stop him, no matter the cost. I don’t wish to stop him for the sake of the country. It is purely revenge for my mother’s life, and the life I could have had with parents who loved me. 

Because of my situation, I grew up as a sad and lonely child. I never had a single friend. Then, things changed. I discovered a cognitive world inside people’s minds. I gained the power of a persona, and I was finally special. None of the other thieves know this, but Joker isn’t the only one with the ability to have multiple personas. It is a connection that we share, although he isn’t aware of it. I can also make a person become psychotic. It sounds impossible, but it is true. I am the culprit who has been causing the psychotic breakdown incidents in the Tokyo area. I also found out the hard way that if you kill a person’s shadow, they will die in the real world. 

That was how I became an outlaw. I was in a man’s palace, and things got out of hand. I was only fifteen, and didn’t understand my powers. I killed his shadow. I was shocked and sickened when I returned to the real world to find that I had murdered him. The world around me became dull and lifeless, and I believed myself to be a very sick individual. I felt ashamed, barely going through the motions of life for a month before it occurred to me that this could be useful instead of the end for me.

I approached Shido, who had no idea I was his son, and told him of my abilities. It turned out he knew a woman who was researching the cognitive world, and he wanted to take her work to use for his own personal gain. Shido’s men confiscated her research, and he sent me to take her shadow’s life. The news reported her death as a suicide. I dread the day when my teammate, Oracle, finds out that I murdered her mother. Up until that moment, I could have changed the course of my life, but afterwards, there was no turning back. I continued to kill for Shido, and became a famous high school detective, framing others for my crimes and “solving” them to gain notoriety. My popularity was unexpected. Was this how it felt to have friends? Probably not, but it was the closest I had experienced. It was enough to fuel my ego as I worked towards my plan to kill Shido, so he couldn’t hurt anyone else.

Two years later, I met Joker. I never expected to have any real feelings towards another person, but I instantly felt drawn to this strange boy who carried a cat around in his school bag. When I discovered his home was at a cafe in Yongen-jaya, I suddenly developed an intense appreciation for coffee. I became a regular customer after Joker made me feel welcome, and found myself staying late in the evenings, waiting for him to come home. For the first time in my life, I felt like I had a friend. One who I could share things with, and at times I found myself sharing more than I should have. The time I spent with Joker led to my deduction that he and his friends were the Phantom Thieves. It also led me to a garish casino inside the mind of my coworker, the prosecutor, Sae Niijima.

“Crow?” Joker asked softly. We had been standing behind a dark corner for several minutes. Joker couldn’t see around it, but I could. He was waiting for a signal from me, and I was staring at his face with a thoughtful frown instead of letting him know the hallway was clear. “Is everything alright?” he asked.

“Yes, sorry. Just lost in thought,” I answered, still contemplating his face. Tonight would be the last before we sent the calling card. Tomorrow we would fight Sae’s shadow, and I would implement my plan to have Joker arrested. And then I would kill him. “There are no enemies,” I said.

Joker ran ahead and I followed. We stopped before a room, and Fox placed a hand on my shoulder, meeting my eyes. I guess Joker wasn’t the only one who had noticed my odd behavior.

Inside the room, we came face to face with an Ose and a couple of unicorns. “Now, Robin!” I shouted, summoning my persona, Robin Hood. “Kougaon!” I finished off the Ose quickly with my bless spell.

“Alice! Die For Me!” I rolled my eyes and smiled at Joker’s extravagant curse spell. He shrugged. “Figured I’d make it quick.”

We continued to the next floor. Mona, the cat, became excited. “Come on guys! The treasure is just ahead!” 

When I realized what was happening, I couldn’t help but laugh. So this was how it worked. “The calling card causes the treasure to manifest, and taking it triggers the change of heart.”

“Correct,” said Fox. 

“I had no idea it was this simple,” I said between fits of laughter. I was feeling a different sort of hysterical on the inside. Had I known how it worked, I could have prevented so many deaths caused by my own hand.

Skull shook his head. “Dude. You’re super weird,” he said.

“Come on,” Joker said, putting his arm around my shoulders. “Let’s go home. You can help me write the calling card.” The closeness was pure comfort. I didn’t deserve it in the slightest, but I couldn’t say no. 

The Phantom Thieves had given me much to think about. While I didn’t see a way out for me, perhaps I was wrong and there was another way to bring down Shido without hurting others, especially Joker. I looked up at him and smiled. “I would love to help.”

“Great,” Joker replied. “I’ll make coffee.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is based on a chapter from The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle, called How Robin Hood Became an Outlaw. In the original story, Robin is on his way to participate in the sheriff’s contest, and meets a group of drunken men. They call him a baby, and he makes a bet with them that he can shoot the deer with the best heart. He does, and they tell him he shot the king’s deer. Most of the men want to let him go because he is so young, but one shoots an arrow at Robin. It misses because he is drunk. Robin turns and shoots an arrow back, and it kills the man. He is never the same, and retreats to the forest. Other outlaws begin to gather there to “escape wrong and oppression.” He later meets a stranger who bests him in a fight, which delights Robin, and the man becomes his right-hand-man, Little John. A quote from the story really resonated with me when thinking about Crow from the game Persona 5. "Gone was all the joy and brightness from everything, for his heart was sick within him, and it was borne in upon his soul that he had slain a man." Crow discovers his ability to enter a cognitive world called the Metaverse a couple of years before the other characters do. Having grown up alone, with no family or friends, he takes a different path than the others. He uses his persona to seek revenge against his biological father, allowing himself to be used and killing people along the way. He eventually teams up with Joker and the Phantom Thieves, only showing them one of his personas, Robin Hood. He has the same ability to have multiple personas that Joker has, and also has the power to cause psychotic breakdowns in people. Instead of discovering how to change someone’s heart, he kills the shadows, which also results in their death in the real world. When he becomes a Phantom Thief and sees how the change of heart is done, he seems truly shocked. If he had known how to do that two years before, he may have taken a very different path. He also becomes very close to Joker, finally finding a friend in someone that he intends to use and dispose of to reach his own goals.


	6. Panther's Story

It was one adventure after another for the Phantom Thieves, and today was no exception. This time we were in a palace belonging to a rich nobleman. I couldn’t wait to see what the treasure would be; he was so rich that it must be something totally luxurious. 

Oh, my name is Panther, by the way. I’ve been a member of the group since before we even had a name. Back then it was just Joker, Mona, Skull and me. At first it was a little bit awkward being the only girl thief, especially with Skull always gawking at my outfit. He is _such_ an idiot sometimes, but he’s also one of my very best friends. They all are, if I’m being honest. My only friend before the thieves, Shiho, was taken advantage of by Kamoshida, the volleyball coach at school. He hurt her to the point where she even jumped off the school roof to make it stop. Thankfully she recovered, because I have no idea what I would do without her. Making that jerk Kamoshida pay was the first big job we did as the Phantom Thieves. I am so glad that I stood up to him. He even tried to take advantage of me, and I had given in to some of it to protect Shiho. 

This is a continual problem for me. You see, I used to live in Finland. I’m part Finnish and a little bit American, so I look nothing like the girls in Japan. I’m tall, blonde, and curvy in places that most Japanese girls my age are not. Because of my looks, everyone hates me. Especially the girls, but the guys do, too. Some of them were interested in my body, but none of them were interested in who I am as a person. Until I met Joker and the other thieves. Now I have quite a few friends, both guys and girls, who all like me for myself. None of them care what I look like, and that’s such a refreshing feeling. 

It turns out that sometimes my looks are to my advantage, especially where the Phantom Thieves are concerned. You would be amazed at what creepy old guys will do for someone who looks like me. I am guilty of using my looks to get information both in the real world, and inside palaces. If you ask Skull, he’ll tell you my so called “bad acting” is worthless, but a smile from a pretty girl goes a long way sometimes. Today was going to be one of those times.

I turned to the nobleman I had been putting the charm on and smiled. “So darling, your riches are so fascinating. Show me your most prized treasure!”

“Now now, dear, come here and give me a little kiss first,” the man replied. 

“Oh my, a lady really shouldn’t behave like that,” I said nervously, pushing him back and making brief eye contact with Joker, who was hiding around the corner. Knowing he was there, ready to jump in if needed, was reassuring. 

“It’s just us here,” the man persisted. “There’s no one to witness your behavior.”

This was getting complicated fast. _Think, Panther_! I thought to myself. “Well, I would be happy to kiss you! Right after you show me that great treasure you were boasting about earlier.”

“You’re a difficult one, aren’t you?” he replied. “Fine, then, right this way.” He grabbed my arm tighter than I’d like. I tried to relax. Skull might think I’m bad at acting, but it took a lot to be calm and play along when you wanted to punch someone in the face this badly. 

“Wonderful, darling. I just can’t wait,” I lied. The other thieves followed quietly in the shadows. The treasure hadn’t taken shape yet of course, and wouldn’t until we sent a calling card in the real world, but he brought me right to the core of the palace where the shimmery, unformed treasure hung in the air. “How lovely,” I said. “Oh, it’s a shame though, I must be going for now.” As I started to back away, he grabbed me by the waist and yanked me to him. 

“Not without that kiss,” he said, his mouth suddenly pressed hard against mine. I tried to pull away, but he was strong. Thankfully, a moment later, I felt him being pulled off of me, and myself being gently pushed backwards. I caught my balance just in time to see Joker punching him in the face. Aww, I kind of wanted to do that myself. I guess it’s alright, though. I don’t mind Joker protecting me. 

The downside to the situation was that we were going to have to fight, now. I swear, no matter how hard we try to avoid a fight, it always happens anyway. Before any of the others even thought to move, I summoned my persona. “Dance, Carmen! Agidyne!” I threw one of my best fire spells at the nobleman. If you could even call someone who treats women that way noble. It hurt, but it wasn’t enough to take him down. This guy was tough.

I heard Joker summon beside me. “Oberon! Ziodyne!” he shouted. The king of the fairies? Where does Joker even come up with some of these personas? Had to hand it to him, though, the electricity was effective. The man was knocked to the ground, but still had quite a bit left in him.

“Carmen!” I called. “Blazing Hell!” I threw my highest level spell, and burned that idiot to a crisp.  
“How was that? Hehehe.”

Joker smiled. “Perfect.”

All of a sudden, something small leaped at me. “M-Mona, what are you doing?” I asked, as the cat landed in my arms.

“Oh, Panther, I was so worried! I can’t believe that despicable man actually had the nerve to kiss you. Are you alright?”

“Yeah,” I said. “Thanks to Joker. Next time, let me be the one to do the punching, though.”

“Absolutely,” Joker said, putting his arm around my shoulders as we headed for the exit.

“If you punched him yourself, we’d still be waiting for him to feel it,” Skull said with a laugh.

“You want me to practice on you for next time?” I asked.

“N-No ma’am,” Skull replied, moving to Joker’s other side, out of my reach.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” I said with a smug smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is based on Carmen by Prosper Mérimée. It is a story about a gypsy woman who takes advantage of men by using her beauty to make them fall in love with her. When Carmen has gotten what she wants from a man, she quickly falls out of “love” and moves on to her next target. In the game Persona 5, Carmen is Panther’s persona. Panther is beautiful and sometimes uses this to her advantage in the Metaverse. In the real world, she just wants people to like her for who she is. Her looks have kept her from fitting in at high school in Japan, as she is foreign and beautiful, and looks nothing like other girls in Japan. This makes the girls jealous and most of the boys are not friendly towards her, either. She is an outcast, only making one friend at school in the years before she meets Joker and becomes a Phantom Thief.


	7. Mona's Story

On a dark and stormy night, a greedy Sergeant sat drinking in a tavern. He wasn’t fond of the other officers, or the landlord, so he made friends with the tavern cat, who sat on the arm of his chair by the fire.

“Landlord,” the Sergeant asked. “What is this cat’s name, anyway?”

“It is Morgana. He’s an inquisitive little fellow, and quite a dignified cat.”

“Well then, Morgana,” the Sergeant said to the cat. “You and I will be good friends. Curl up in my lap and warm yourself by the fire. I will tell you of my latest nemesis.”

I raised an eyebrow, then curled up in the Sergeant’s lap as asked. _It is rather warm here_ , I thought. I began to doze off instantly.

“My nemesis is also a cat,” the Sergeant began. “But it is more of a ‘monster cat’ I suppose you would say.”

I sat back up and looked into the Sergeant’s eyes. “Meow!” I said. At least, that’s what the Sergeant heard when I spoke. You see, outside of a palace, people without a persona can’t hear me talk. In the Metaverse, he would have heard me. This palace was a strange one. The inside of the tavern was technically outside of the Metaverse, and so he saw me as if I were a normal cat (I’m not, I swear!) and my voice just sounded like meowing. If I went outside the tavern, I would change into my other form.

“Yes, indeed, kitty. It walks on two legs, has a very large head, and wears a mask. And strangest of all, it can talk!” said the Sergeant, happy to have someone listen to him for a change. I let out a low growl.

Laughing, the Sergeant continued. “He is a dangerous thief. He takes from men like myself, and I won’t stand for it. He also travels with a man in a long, black coat. The two are a formidable pair, and none have ever bested them in a fight. But that will all change when _I_ finally get the chance to fight them! I will capture that cat and turn it in for the reward money!”

Just then, the tavern door opened. A young man dressed in plaid pants and a blazer walked in and sat at the bar. I immediately rushed over to greet him.

“Meow! Meee-ow! Mrow mrow, mrrrrowww!” I said.

The newcomer gently scratched behind my ears, where I like it best. “I see,” he said. “What’s gotten you so riled up?” he said with a gentle smile.

“Mrow meow mew mow!” I shouted. The boy didn’t reply, as the Sergeant had approached the bar.

“I see that you know this cat,” he commented. “Is it yours?”

“Yes,” the boy answered. “I hope that he’s been a good boy while I was out.” I turned my face away from the Sergeant and rolled my eyes.

“Indeed,” the Sergeant said. “He is a good companion. Might I ask your name?”

“Akira,” the boy replied. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“I thought I told you to leave my customers alone,” the landlord said, placing a plate of curry in front of him.” Akira gave the landlord a bashful smile, which turned into a huge grin when the door sprang open and a beautiful blonde walked in. I must have looked equally delighted, running to the end of the bar and leaping into Lady Ann’s arms. 

“Hey, Morgana!” she said cheerfully, snuggling me as she sat beside Akira. “Do you want to go see a movie tonight, Akira?” she asked, eyelashes batting. _How come she never looks at me like that?_

“Sounds good,” Akira replied. The landlord quickly served up another plate of curry for Lady Ann. The Sergeant went back to his chair, and was surprised when I followed.

“Well, Morgana, was it? I’m going to take down those thieves, and then I will come back and tell you all about it.”

“Meow!” I said. Then I ran to the door and pawed at it. Akira calmly got up and opened it, letting me outside. 

“Well then, shall we go see that movie, Ann?”

“Sure, let’s go!”

The two teenagers gathered their things and headed out into the night. 

Just then, the storm became more intense. The Sergeant thought those children foolish to have gone out in it to begin with, but he rather hoped that the cat was alright. The door blew open suddenly. The Sergeant stepped out into the night, finding himself face to face with the infamous “monster” cat.

“It is I, Mona! I hear that someone in this place wishes to capture me!” I said.

The Sergeant was taken by surprise, but pleased at this turn of events. He quickly drew his sword. “Indeed, I intend to capture you and claim the reward!”

“Mrowhowhowhow,” I laughed. “Go ahead and try, then!” Behind me was a man in a long, black coat and a woman in a red catsuit. All of us wore masks. The Sergeant raised his sword, and I summoned my persona.

“Zorro! Show your might!” I said. “Garudyne!” A tremendous blast of wind hit the Sergeant head on. It did quite a bit of damage, but it wasn’t enough to take him down. 

“Nue!” Joker shouted, “Assault Dive!”

“Whoooaaa! Looking cool, Joker!" I said. Joker was an impressive guy, and my best friend. He always had my back in a fight.

“Dance, Carmen! Agidyne!” yelled Panther.

Joker’s physical attack and Panther’s fire spell finished him off. “Cleanup complete!” I said cheerfully, dusting off my paws.

It was then that I saw it. The treasure had appeared. It was fuzzy and wouldn’t fully manifest until we sent the calling card, but I could tell this one was going to be a beauty. 

“T-Treasure! Look at that shine! That sparkle! Mrow, mrow, _mrow_!” I had a hard time controlling myself around treasure. I always feel so drawn to it. I hadn’t even noticed our teammate, Skull, come up behind me. 

“There you go drooling over the treasure again, you weirdo,” said Skull.

I rolled my eyes. “And where exactly were you when we were fighting?”

“Huh? Oh, Joker said I should just go ahead and get our movie tickets since you guys had this,” Skull replied.

“ _Joker_! Seriously?” I asked.

Joker shrugged. “You clearly didn’t need any help with this one, Mona. Great job!”

“Come on, Mona! We don’t want to be late for the movie! Want to sit in my lap?” Panther asked as we headed back to the real world.

“Y-Yes! Can I, Joker? I can, right?” My friends all laughed, but I know they’re all on my side. That’s what makes us a great team.

“If it’s alright with Ann, it’s fine with me,” Joker said. I leaped into his bag as he hoisted it onto his back, and we all headed to the theater for a peaceful evening together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is based on The Mark of Zorro by Johnston McCulley. In the original, Sergeant Pedro Gonzales drinks in a tavern, boasting to his noble and lazy friend Don Diego Vega about how he plans to capture the infamous masked vigilante called Zorro, so he can claim the reward money. Gonzales believes that Zorro has not been caught because he has yet to face the Sergeant himself. Vega leaves the tavern and as the storm picks up, Zorro enters. Gonzales challenges him to a duel, which he loses, and Zorro escapes out the window when others come to the door. Vega and Zorro and are the same man, and portray themselves very differently when interacting with Gonzales and others. In the game Persona 5, the Phantom Thief called Mona takes the form of a regular cat when in the real world, and a large-headed masked cat who walks on two feet inside the Metaverse. I thought it would be fun to see the tavern unaffected by the Metaverse, so that Morgana the cat would go unnoticed inside, and become Mona the Phantom Thief just outside. Morgana has a huge crush on Ann, also known as Panther, and refers to her affectionately as Lady Ann. He would do almost anything to impress her, much like Zorro seeks to impress Lolita, a young woman whom Vega seeks to marry, but fails to impress with his laziness. I wanted to portray how similar Morgana the cat’s laziness is to Vega’s, and how clever both Zorro and Mona can be when wearing a mask.

**Author's Note:**

> Now that you have read Mona's introduction, the stories can begin. Mona's own story can be found in Chapter 7.


End file.
